Maynard, MA, USA: Beacon-Villager newspaper column on local history, observations on nature and recreational activities, plus an occasional health-related article. Columns from 2009-11 collected into book "MAYNARD: History and Life Outdoors." Columns from 2012-14 collected into book "Hidden History of Maynard." - David A. Mark

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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Fleepo the Clown (Philip Bohunicky)

Plaque honoring Phil's contributions to Maynard
(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Ten years gone since Philip W. Bohunicky, aka "Fleepo
the Clown" passed away on 11/11/04, a month shy of his 85th birthday. He had been a
fixture in Maynard's parades and celebrations for close to 40 years. He, as
have others, qualified for the honorary title "Mr. Maynard" in his
time.

Phil wrote up part
of his life's story for the Maynard Historical Society shortly before he died.
As he told it, he began sponsoring and coordinating Maynard's Christmas parade
in 1966 because of an event from his youth. His early memories were of growing
up in a Catholic orphanage. He described a snowy winter evening when the nuns
told the boys that after evening prayers they were to put on their winter
outfits. They walked to the center of town, where he heard a small band playing
"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells..." and everyone joined in to sing Christmas
carols.

In his own words
"All of a sudden a huge red fire engine appeared around the corner with
its sirens and horns blasting away. Standing in the back of the fire engine was
a huge Santa Claus waving and yelling 'Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Ho Ho
Ho!' As Santa faded slowly in the distance I was mesmerized, and to this day, oh
so long, long after, I never forgot when I first saw Santa Claus when I was
only six years old and living in the orphanage."

Parade float for Happy Toes Square Dancers

In addition to
starting the Maynard Christmas Parade tradition, behind the scenes he also
personally covered much of the cost of putting on the event, a responsibility since
taken on by the Rotary Club. Phil also organized the annual Easter Egg Hunt at CrowePark
and helped provide entertainment at the Fourth of July carnivals - same
location. At many events he was joined by his children and others who performed
as the Happy Toe Square Dancers.

Phil's main alter
ego was "Fleepo the Clown," but he also put in appearances at
children's and charity events as Grandpa Fleepo or Harmonica Phil. Many
Maynardites remember Fleepo on WAVM's television channel as The Fleepo Show. Or
in costume, on roller skates, handing out lollipops. Or seeing him drive by -
in costume, on his way to an event - with a very, very large stuffed dog in the
car as his sidekick. His license plate read FLEEPO. One story that made local
news in April 1990 was that Fleepo was hatjacked of his signature antique top
hat at the Easter Egg event. The hat was never recovered.

Fleepo, stuffed animals, perhaps two of his three children?

As to how his clown
name came to be: Philip apprenticed for years with Chris Sclarppia, who went by
the clown name "Bozo" (not the famous Bozo). Chris took the French
pronunciation of Phil's name - think "Fe-leeep" - and from there
mutated it to "Fleepo."

Out of costume,
Bohunicky put in uncounted hours supporting Little League baseball, T-ball and
the water safety swim program conducted at LakeBoon.
He had served in the Army Medical Corp in Europe
during World War II, and appeared in uniform at Memorial Day and Veterans Day
remembrances. His post-war career was as an electronics technician at MIT's
Lincoln Labs, in Lexington.
He died on Veterans Day, 2004.

This is not to say
that Philip Bohunicky was all sweetness and light. In his involvement in
various town government activities and volunteer groups around town he was at
times strongly opinionated and ornery.

Little is known
about Bohunicky's early family history. One source mentions both of his parents
dying when he was an infant, and with no other family member to take him, he
ended up at St. John's Catholic Orphanage in Utica, New York, until he was
eleven, and then with a series of foster families. His good luck was the last
family insisting he attend high school, and then the G.I. Bill putting him through
MassachusettsTrade School.

The surname
Bohunicky is Slovakian, and can be taken to mean from Bohunice," which
turns out to be the name of a small village near the western border of the SlovakRepublic.
If his parents were immigrants from that region it was part of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire back then. Phil's contributions
to town spirit continue to be remembered. Each year, the Philip Bohunicky
Humanitarian Award is presented at the WAVM banquet to a member of the town who
exemplifies the same type of dedication to his/her community.

Fifty of David Mark’s 2012-2014 columns were published in book "Hidden History of Maynard" available at The Paper Store, on-line, and as an e-book.